Striping mechanism for automatic weft-replenishing looms



A. E. BHOAUES.

ST'RIPING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LDOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 19-20- Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHKEI I.

,Zmz/e/Lor. #607220 ZZJUw ades.

A..E. RH'OADES. STRIPING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, I920- 1,366,940. Patented Feb. 1,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I -F|o.3.

.[7LU6 7-0601 fl 07120 E.Rh0ade5,

his M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALON'ZO E. RHOADES, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COB- PORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE;

STRIZPING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed June 2, 1920. Serial No. 385,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNao E. RHoADns, of Hopedale, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and Improved Striping Mechanism for Automatic Weft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to automatically change the weft in a weft replenishing loom for the purpose of weaving the fabric with crosswise extending stripes of different quality, color, or appearance from the body of the fabric. More particularly the improved striping mechanism is used in automatic weft replenishing terry looms for. weaving the character of towels commonly known as Turkish so that stripes near the ends of each towel may present a different color from the remainder of the towel.

The improvements are illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1, is a side view of so much of an automaticweft replenishing terry loom as is necessary for an understanding of the pres ent invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view gem larged) and Fig. 3 is a front View enlar ed) of the resettingmechanism.

lieference numerals indicate known parts, and reference letters indicate the new parts.

The loom having the present improvements is an automatic weft replenishing loom of. the well known Northrop type the characteristics of which are disclosed in UnitedfStates Letters Patent of Northrop No. 529,940, November 27, 1894;, and the change of weft is initiated by a weft detector which indicates the need for a fresh supply of weft, such detector being preferably of the feeler type which causes a change of weft before the running weft is entirel exhausted. Such feeler mechanisms are we 1 known and the accompanying drawings illustrate one similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent of Wood and Northrop No. 7 89,471, May 9, 1905.

This feeler mechanism includes a feeler finger 1, which enters the shuttle and c011- tacts with the weft therein, and a feeler finger 2, pivotally. mounted on the finger 1. This finger 2, when the weft approaches exhaustion contacts a datum surface, such as the front face of the shuttle, and is thereby abnormally )ositioned by swinging on the primary feeler. The finger 2 has a for usual weft hammer to engage operatively a transmitter 5 which is pivoted at its forward end to a reciprocating crank arm 6, fast on the starting shaft of the weft replenishing mechanism such shaft being shown at (Z in said Wood and Northrop Patent No. 789,471 and in said Northrop Patent No. 529,940. As the result of this engagement and its subsequent forward move ment the weft hammer acts through the transmitter 5, and the crank arm 6 to rock the starting shaft thereby putting into action the weft transferrer by means of which the running weft carrier is ejected and a fresh weft carrier is transferred from the battery or magazine into the shuttle. This mode of operation and the mechanism effecting it are disclosed in said Northrop Patent No. 529,94t0,a11d are now well known. (The crank arm 6, is a known part of the weft replenishing mechanism, and serves to indicate the presence of such mechanism.) The feeler mechanism of the Wood and Northrop Patent No. 7 89,471 (which is incorporated in the loom equipped with the present improvements) is representative of a well known type of feeler mechanism and other detector mechanism could be employed.

The loom having the present improvements has also the terry mechanism for weaving Turkish towels which is set forth in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,322,730, November 25, 1919. Of the mechanism set forth in that patent, only a ortion of the pattern mechanism is here illustrated. Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows the pattern cam wheel 7 and certain of the cams 8, 9, 10, and 11, thereof which by their action on intervening mechanism automatically control the terry-motion, the terry-let-off and the let-back as set forth in said Patent No. 1,322,730. Also, as set forth in saidpatent the pattern wheel 7 is rotated step by step, each forward step occurring after a predetermined number of picks. I

Now, in accordance with the present invention, the pattern wheel is equipped with additional cams which at the proper times act upon a controlling mechanism which sets'into action the train of weft replenishing mechanism so that the running weft carrier is ejected and a fresh weft carrier is transferred from the magazine into the mechanism.

can both of the usual detector shuttle. In the specific organization illustrated, this controlling mechanism (when put into action by one of the cams on the pattern wheel) acts to depress the actuator 3 .of the feeler finger 2, so that when the finger 1, is moved forwardly the weft replenishing mechanism is brought into action through the same train of mechanism as -when the running weft approaches the critical stage of exhaustion. In other words, the pattern cam acts through the controlling mechanism upon the detector which 1S abnormally positioned and through the detector mechanism upon the weft replenishing The loom thus has weft replenishing mechanism which responds to the and also of the pattern mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 1, the pattern cam wheel carries two cam blocks A and B which are independently adjustable circumferentially upon the pattern wheel in the same way as the cam blocks are adjustable which carry the cams which control the terry-motion, such adjustments being set forth in said Patent No. 1,822,730.

. 'The cam block A has two cams a and b, and the cam block B has two cams c and d. By means of one. set of those cams a con trasting stripe is woven near one end of a towel, and by means of the other set of cams a stripe is woven near the other end of the towel. The two cam blocks are independentlyadjustable so that the position of the stripes with respect to the ends of the towels can be adjusted and also in order to conform to the adjustment of the terrymotion controlling cams 8, 9, 10 and 11, so that the contrasting stripes may be coordi- 1 ,2), 0 and d, are corresp beveled so that when one of these cams in the forward rotation of the pattern wheel encoun- "tersthe controller, the rear end'of the controller is swung downwardly without shock. This downwardswingof the rear end of the controller is against the pull of a spring D which acts to restore the controller to its normal position of rest, shown in Fig. 1, after each cam has passed the rear end of lever 4 of the feeler mechanism.

the controller. is shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the controller projects upwardly at b, so that it may enter between each pair of cams a, and b, and c and d, and so be restored to its normal position of rest after each cam has acted. The front arm E of the controller extends forwardly to a position above the feeler and is arched upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to pass above the lay.

At its forward end, this arm of the controller extends forwardly and horizontally to constitute a latch F which normally ongages a cam bar G adjacent the finger 2, and restrains the same from rearward movement. This cam bar is acted upon by a spring H which tends to move it rearwardly but this rearward movement is normally restrained by the latch F. The rear end of the cam bar G is notched as shown in Fig. l where it is engaged by the latch. The cam bar has a longitudinal inclined front cam slot 2' into which enters a stationary horizontally extending pin j, and it likewise has a rear longitudinally extending cam slot K", into which enters a stationary horizontal pin Z. The rear under side of the cam bar is shaped to constitute a cam I, which is directly over the forward end of the actuator 3 of the finger 2.

Now, referring to Fig. 1, assume that in the rotation of the pattern wheel 7 the cam a encounters the rear end of the controller 6 thereby depressing the rear end, the result is that the latch F at the forward end of the controller is lifted above the cam bar G, so that the cam bar is free from restraint. Thereupon the cam bar is moved rearwardly by the spring H and as the result of the action of the slots i and l: upon the pins j and Z, the rear cam face of the cam bar is moved downwardly thereby encountering the forward end of the actuator 3 and moving said actuator downwardly behind the Then, when the finger 1 is moved forwardly by the frontward push of the weft carrier the lever 4. is moved forwardly in just the same way as if the running weft were approaching exhaustion. The consequence is that the-weft replenishing mechanism is put into action, and the working weft carrier is ejected and a fresh weft carrier is transferred from the magazine into the shuttle.

The same forward step of the pattern wheel which results in the swing of the controller C by the cum (I, carries said cam forwardly beyond the upward projection 71, of the controller and the spring D then restores the controller to its normal position of rest, but at this time the cam bar is at its rearward position with its notch back of the front end of the latch F. It is necessary. therefore, after the weft replenishing mech anism has been started intoaction to resetthe cam bar so that it may be locked again in its forward position by the latch F. The resetting mechanism is controlled by the crank arm 6. It is through the movement of the crank arm 6 that the cam bar G is restored to its forward position of rest. At its forward end the cam bar is connected with the outer arm J of a lever which is pivoted at m to a stationary bracket 11, fastened to the breast beam 12. The inner arm L of the lever has an upwardly projecting stud 0, which extends through a horizontal slot 29 in a link M. This link at its forward end is pivoted at g, to the outer arm N of a lever which is pivoted at r to the stationary bracket n. The inner arm 0 of the lever extends in front of the crank arm 6.

In the normal position of rest of the cam bar the stud 0 is at the rear end of the slot 17, as shown in Fig. 2. When the cam bar is moved rearwardly by its spring H the stud 0, moves forwardly in the slot 79 but not far enough forward to have any tendency to swing the lever N, O, on its pivot. As already explained, this rearward movement of the cam bar is followed by the forward movement of the crank arm 6, owing to the timing of the weft hammer and ofthe pattern mechanism. This forward movement does not occur until after the controller 0 has been released by the passage of one of its actuating cams (such as a.) beyond its projection h, and consequently not until after the controller has been restored to its normal position of rest. As the crank arm 6 moves forward it encounters the arm 0 thus moving said arm forwardly and consequently moving the arm N and link M rearwardly. The consequence is that the link M forces the stud 0, and the lever L rearwardly thereby swinging the lever arm J forwardly and hence moving the cam bar G forwardly. This forward movement of the cam bar brings the locking shoulder 8 of its notch forward of the latch F. Then when'the crank arm 6 is restoredto its nor mal position of restby the usual spring,

such as shown at 0 in United States Letters- Patent of Northrop No. 529,943, November 27, 1894, the lever N, O, is released and the spring H again brings the cam bar into locking engagement with the latch F. The lever N, O, and the link M might be restored to the position shown. in Fig. 2, by a spring, but this is unnecessary because if the said lever and link were left in the position to which they were moved by the forward movement of the crank arm 6, there would be no interference with subsequent action since they would then be moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 when the cam bar next moved rearwardly.

Therefore, whenever one of the cams a, b, c or (1, acts upon the controller 0 there is an injection of therunning weft carrier and the insertion of a fresh weft carrier. In order to coordinate this change of weft carriers to the requirements of a towel loom the weaver arranges the Weft carriers in the magazine in proper sequence. Assume that the body of the towel is to be woven with a white weft, and the stripes are to be woven these weft carriers will be inserted into the shuttle as the result of the action of the pattern' mechanism. The two following weft carriers will be inserted as the result of the normal action of the detector mechanism.

As the weft on the third weft carrier will be approximately only half consumed there is a wide margin of safety to compensate for any-ordinary deviation in the quantity of wefton the weft carriers, so that there will always be enough of the white weft to weave the body of the towel. In the event that a weft thread breaks or should run out before the feeler mechanism acts, the loom will antomatically stop by the weft fork as customary in feeler looms of the Northrop type, as illustratedfor example, in the aforesaid patent of Mod and Northrop. The weaver than sees to it that the weft is properly supplied before restarting the loom.

Following the group of three white weft carriers the weaver places in the magazine a weft carrier wound with blue weft. As the blue stripe is ordinarily relatively narrow the weft carrier when full will have more than enough weftfor the blue stripe so that there is no danger of the normal action of the feeler mechanism during the weaving of the blue stripe. At the completion of the blue stripe, the pattern controlled weft replenishment takes place and the blue weft carrier is ejected and a weft l l. l)

carrier carrying white thread is then infirst cam. a is to eject the last white weft carrier of the group of three from the shuttle and to insert a blue weft carrier. A blue stripe is woven until the next Cam 6 acts upon the controller G. Then the blue weft carrier is ejected and a'white weft carrier is inserted. With the arrangement of the as'indicated at 8, 9, 10, and 11. At the .proper time in order that there may be a .blue stripe at the beginning of the next :towel, the-came acts upon the controller 0 and asecond blue weft carrier is inserted so that a blue stripe is woven until the cam d acts'upon the controller with the result that Yo fthe'next group of three white weft cari'riers: is inserted. I

thelblue weft carrier is ejected and the first ;The extent of weaving between the action ofthe camsb 'and'c is insuiiicient to consume all :of the weft on a filled weft carrier sothat there is no'danger of adversely affecting the prearranged disposition of the weft carriers in the magazine through the .normal action of the feeler mechanism dur- 25 ing this period.

With the cam'arrangement illustrated on the pattern mechanism the weft carriers 'would be arranged by the weaver in the magazine in the sequence of three white weft carriers, one blue weft carrier, one white weft carrier, and one blue weft carrier, this sequence being then'repeated.

The plane of the cams a, Z), c, and cl, on the pattern wheel is such that they do not act upon the levers governed by the cams 8, 9, l0, and 11, and the corresponding position of the rear end of the controller C is such that it is not acted upon by any of the cams 8, 9, 10 and 11.

A stationary stop pin P limits the upward movement of the rear end of the controller C.

The controller C is below the pattern wheel whereas the levers controlled by the terry-motion governing cams are above the patternwheel. Accordingly, the cams which govern the controller 0 are located on the pattern Wheel remote from the terry motion governing cams so that the two sets of cams canbe independently adjusted on the pattern wheel without interference.

I claim--.

1. A weft replenishing loom having a weft replenishing mechanism comprising a reciprocating part, as 6; a feeler mechanism having a feeler finger which is positioned .to initiate the action of the weft replenish ing mechanism when the running weft approaches exhaustion; a normally idle cam bar positioned above saidfeeler finger, said cam bar: having cam slots; fixed pins entering said cam slots; a-springacting upon said cam bar to cause it to engage said feeler finger and move it to itsacting position; a .-pattern.mechanism'having a, series of cams a controller acted upon and moved by said cams, said controller having a latch which normally engages said cam bar and holds it in idle position out of reach of said feeler finger, in combination with a resetting mechanism for the cam bar including a lever connected with the cam bar, a second lever extending in front of said reciprocating part of the replenishing mechanism, and a link connecting said two levers, said link having a longitudinally extending slot, and said lever connected with the cam bar having a stud extending into said slot.

2. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a feeler mechanism having a feeler finger which is positioned to initiate the action of the weft replenishing mechanism when the running weft approaches exhaustion; a normally idle cam bar positioned above said feeler finger, said cam bar having cam slots; fixed pins entering said cam slots; a spring acting upon said cam bar to cause it to engage said feeler finger and move it to its acting position; a pattern mechanism having a series of cams; and a controller acted upon and moved by said cams, said controller having a latch which normally engages said cam bar and holds it in idle position out of reach of said feeler finger.

3. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a detector which is positioned to initiate the action of the weft replenishing mechanism when the weft needs to be replenished; a normally idle bar positioned adjacent said detector; a spring acting upon said bar to cause it to engage said detector and move it to its acting position: a pattern mechanism having a series of cams; and a controller acted upon and moved by said cams, said controller having a latch which normally engages said cam bar and holds it in idle position out of reach of said detector.

4:. A weft replenishing loom having weft replenishing mechanism including a reciprocating part, as (3, a pattern controlled cam bar and a spring moving said cam bar rearwardly, in combination with a resetting mechanism for the cam bar including a lever connected with the cam bar, a second lever extending in front of said reciprocating part, and a link connecting said two levers, said link having a longitudinally extending slot, and said lever connected with the cam bar having a stud extending into said slot.

5. weft replenishing terry loom having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism, a detector which ascertains the need for weft replenishment, a pattern mechanism which governs the terry-motion, and connecting mechanisms between the detector and the pattern mechanism on the one hand and the replenishing mechanism on the other hand, whereby, the weft replenishment is controlled both by the detector and by the pattern mechanism.

6. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism, a detector which is abnormally positioned when the weft needs replenishment, operative connections between the detector and weft replenishing mechanism whereby the weft is changed as the result of the abnormal position of the detector, :1, pattern mechanism, and operative connections between the pattern mechanism and the detector so that the detector is abnormally positioned to initiate the action of the weft replenishing mechanism at the call of the pattern mech anism.

7. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism, a feeler mechanism which sets the weft replenishing mechanism into action on the a proaching exhaustion of the runnin we t, and a pattern mechanism operativey connected with the replenishing mechanism whereby the weft is also changed at the call of the pattern mechanism.

8. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism, a detector which ascertains the need for weft replenishment, a pattern mechanism, connecting mechanisms between the detector and the pattern mechanism on the one hand and the replenishing mechanism on the other hand, whereby the weft replenishment is controlled both by the detector and by the pattern mechanism.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

ALONZO E. RHOADES. 

